The Winter precipitation has arrived and with it comes the beauty of snow-covered trees and landscapes. We look out of our windows and watch as the big flakes fall to the ground. The bland and dying colors of Fall that we have looked at for weeks now are covered by this white wonderland.
All around we see scenes that should be put on calendars or postcards. Something of Beauty is here. Something of the Eternal as well. With everything covered by the pure white snow and nothing stirring, we can be reminded that all is well. That the things that are now unseen, the things that are now covered, can be forgotten.
In our hymnals there are songs that talk about our Salvation experience and being made “white as snow”. This is a good time for a reminder of that. We are only weeks away from celebrating Easter and only a few weeks removed from Christmas; the two biggest holidays on the Christian calendar.
Hopefully, we have not removed ourselves too far from these celebrated events.
The first month of the year is almost over. There are taxes to be prepared. We have resolutions that are slipping out of our reach. We may feel that we don't have much to look forward to. But I think that the Snow says otherwise. We can look back at the moment that we became “born again”, with thanksgiving to our Savior. We can look forward to His Glorious appearing.
We can be still in these moments before the snow melts away. Enjoy it for what it is and is a picture of. We so hurriedly want to be rid of it and want it off of the roads and driveways. Sometimes looking at it as a nuisance or something else to bother us or give us reason to complain. But if we take a few minutes to realize that it is a Gracious picture of what our Savior did when He climbed that Hill and took our place, then we might appreciate it a little more.
Having lived in an area of the country where we saw it quite regularly, I can't say that I always appreciated it. When I was younger and it got us out of school certainly, but as an adult who had to work, it was pretty inconvenient. For the first time, maybe for the first time ever, I am now looking at it as a reminder of how great God's Love for us is. That He would send His only Son to die for our sins on an old rugged cross. Yes, that is what I want to remember now. Setting aside some time to contemplate His Finished Work. To wash us white as snow. The color of snow – pure, holy. Also the color of His garments now as He stands in Victory awaiting the day that He will come to receive us back to Him.
Scarlet and Crimson, the color of blood are the colors that He would shed for us. Also the color of our sins His word says in Isaiah. I have often wondered about this. Shouldn't our sins be black or at least a very dark color like that? Why Scarlet? Why Crimson? Is it because of the fact that we cannot exist without blood pumping through us? That we are born sinners and must take that plunge to be covered and be white as snow? Or that as He shed His blood on the cross, He was covered by our sins? Questions for Heaven perhaps.
He promises to cover us with such a peaceful color and this should instill in us a sense of awe and wonder. To lose all of our guilty stains and be counted as righteous for placing our faith in Him, is quite the bargain. Nothing we can do will bring us this forgiveness. Only to place our faith and trust in Him and the work He accomplished on the Cross. Apart from His Death, Burial, and Resurrection, all of our labors are in vain. No amount of church attendance, service to others – at church, home or at work, will put us in better standing with Him. He longs for us to Trust Him and only Him, for what He did to make us right, to wash us clean and white as snow.
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. - Isaiah 1:18 NLT
Winter is hardly over. There may be more of the white stuff. Let's look at it as a blessed reminder from God that He has promised to cover and forget all about our confessed sins. He gave His Life for all of our sins – past, present and future. We can be made right with Him only by believing that this is what He did. His work on earth is Finished and all will be made right again one day. Our guilt, shame and blatant sins are covered by His Blood and that He will not drag them back out on display against us. He is not our accuser though the Enemy would have us believe that. You can't get any whiter than freshly fallen snow. There is nothing more pure and bright as the forgiveness of sins, offered to us only by our Victorious Savior!
All around we see scenes that should be put on calendars or postcards. Something of Beauty is here. Something of the Eternal as well. With everything covered by the pure white snow and nothing stirring, we can be reminded that all is well. That the things that are now unseen, the things that are now covered, can be forgotten.
In our hymnals there are songs that talk about our Salvation experience and being made “white as snow”. This is a good time for a reminder of that. We are only weeks away from celebrating Easter and only a few weeks removed from Christmas; the two biggest holidays on the Christian calendar.
Hopefully, we have not removed ourselves too far from these celebrated events.
The first month of the year is almost over. There are taxes to be prepared. We have resolutions that are slipping out of our reach. We may feel that we don't have much to look forward to. But I think that the Snow says otherwise. We can look back at the moment that we became “born again”, with thanksgiving to our Savior. We can look forward to His Glorious appearing.
We can be still in these moments before the snow melts away. Enjoy it for what it is and is a picture of. We so hurriedly want to be rid of it and want it off of the roads and driveways. Sometimes looking at it as a nuisance or something else to bother us or give us reason to complain. But if we take a few minutes to realize that it is a Gracious picture of what our Savior did when He climbed that Hill and took our place, then we might appreciate it a little more.
Having lived in an area of the country where we saw it quite regularly, I can't say that I always appreciated it. When I was younger and it got us out of school certainly, but as an adult who had to work, it was pretty inconvenient. For the first time, maybe for the first time ever, I am now looking at it as a reminder of how great God's Love for us is. That He would send His only Son to die for our sins on an old rugged cross. Yes, that is what I want to remember now. Setting aside some time to contemplate His Finished Work. To wash us white as snow. The color of snow – pure, holy. Also the color of His garments now as He stands in Victory awaiting the day that He will come to receive us back to Him.
Scarlet and Crimson, the color of blood are the colors that He would shed for us. Also the color of our sins His word says in Isaiah. I have often wondered about this. Shouldn't our sins be black or at least a very dark color like that? Why Scarlet? Why Crimson? Is it because of the fact that we cannot exist without blood pumping through us? That we are born sinners and must take that plunge to be covered and be white as snow? Or that as He shed His blood on the cross, He was covered by our sins? Questions for Heaven perhaps.
He promises to cover us with such a peaceful color and this should instill in us a sense of awe and wonder. To lose all of our guilty stains and be counted as righteous for placing our faith in Him, is quite the bargain. Nothing we can do will bring us this forgiveness. Only to place our faith and trust in Him and the work He accomplished on the Cross. Apart from His Death, Burial, and Resurrection, all of our labors are in vain. No amount of church attendance, service to others – at church, home or at work, will put us in better standing with Him. He longs for us to Trust Him and only Him, for what He did to make us right, to wash us clean and white as snow.
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. - Isaiah 1:18 NLT
Winter is hardly over. There may be more of the white stuff. Let's look at it as a blessed reminder from God that He has promised to cover and forget all about our confessed sins. He gave His Life for all of our sins – past, present and future. We can be made right with Him only by believing that this is what He did. His work on earth is Finished and all will be made right again one day. Our guilt, shame and blatant sins are covered by His Blood and that He will not drag them back out on display against us. He is not our accuser though the Enemy would have us believe that. You can't get any whiter than freshly fallen snow. There is nothing more pure and bright as the forgiveness of sins, offered to us only by our Victorious Savior!
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